Metrobus riders will see more buses, more often and more hours beginning Sunday, August 23
Metrobus will ramp up service Sunday, August 23, giving customers more options with more buses, operating on more routes, more frequently and with more hours of service. The changes will restore approximately 75 percent of Metrobus service throughout DC, Maryland and Virginia, provide enhanced weekday service and maintain all-day frequent service on key corridors.
Buses will begin operating earlier and run later, beginning as early as 4 a.m. and ending as late as midnight daily with schedules varying by route.
The biggest improvement will come on weekends, where most bus service will be restored. Metro has been operating “lifeline” service on only 29 routes but will resume 85-90 percent of pre-Covid weekend service levels. This includes routes that connect area hospitals to nearby Metro stations, eliminating the need for special hospital shuttles that had been operating as part of Metro’s pandemic response.
In preparation for the ramp-up in service, bus maintenance teams are inspecting Metro’s fleet of more than 1500 buses to meet the increased demand. Metro will nearly double the number of buses on the road, covering 108,000 total miles across the District, Maryland and Virginia on weekdays, a 50 percent increase in mileage.
On weekdays, service will improve on 174 routes with most operating near pre-Covid service levels. In addition to routes currently operating, 58 more routes will run weekdays, 82 more Saturday, and 72 more on Sunday, with most operating near pre-pandemic service levels.
The service changes coincide with the introduction of new dedicated car-free bus lanes in the District that will improve reliability, helping to reduce crowding and save time. Riders on nearly two dozen Metrobus routes on Seventh St NW, Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave SE, and M St SE will benefit from the pilot project.
Effective Sunday, August 23, service will operate on the following routes (check timetables for schedule information):
District of Columbia
30N, 30S, 31, 32, 33, 36, 42, 43, 52, 54, 59, 62, 63, 64, 70, 74, 79, 80, 90, 92, 96, A2, A4, A6, A7, A8, A31*, A32*, A33*, B2, D2, D4, D6, D8, D31*, D32*, D33*, D34*, D51*, E2, E4, G2, G8, H2, H4, H6, H8, H9, K2, L2, M4, M6, N6, P6, S2, S9, S35*, S41*, U4, U5, U6, U7, V2, V4, V8, W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6, W8, W45*, W47*, X8, X9
* Routes operate when DC Public Schools are open
Maryland
83, 86, 89M, A12, B21, B22, B24, B27, C2, C4, C8, C11, C13, C12, C14, C21, C22, C26, C29, D12, D13, D14, F1, F2, F4, F6, F8, F12, F13, F14, G12, G14, H12, J1, J2, J12, K6, K12, L8, NH1, NH2, P12, P18, Q1, Q2, Q4, Q5, Q6, R1, R2, R4, R12, T2, T14, T18, V12, V14, W14, Y2, Y7, Y8, Z2, Z6, Z7, Z8
Virginia
1A, 1C, 2A, 2B, 3A, 4B, 5A, 7A, 7F, 7M, 7Y, 10A, 10B, 16A, 16C, 16E, 16G, 16H, 17B, 17G, 17H, 17M, 18P, 22A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 23T, 25B, 28A, 29G, 29K, 29N, 38B, Metroway, NH2, REX, TAGS (S80)
Some routes with extremely low ridership or that are located on bus lines served by multiple routes will remain temporarily suspended to address crowding and provide more frequent buses on the busiest Metrobus routes.
Routes Not Operating
Weekdays
DC: 34, 37, 39, 60, 97, A9, B8, B9, D1, D5, E6, G9, H1, H3, L1, N2, N4, S1, V1, V7, X1, X3
MD: 87, 89, B29, B30, C28, H11, H13, J4, K9, P19, Z11
VA: 1B, 3T, 3Y, 7C, 7P, 7W, 8S, 8W, 8Z, 10E, 10N, 11Y, 15K, 16L, 16Y, 17K, 17L, 18G, 18J, 18H, 21A, 21D, 22C, 23B, 23T, 26A, 28F, 28G, 29C, 29W, S91
Saturday
DC: 30N, 30S, 31, 62, 63, D2, E2, G2, M6, X8
MD: C14, NH2, Q6, R12, Z6
VA: 3T, 10N, NH2
Sunday
DC: 30N, 30S, 31, 62, 63, D2, E2, G2, M6, X8
MD: 86, H12, NH2, T14, V12
VA: NH2
Scheduled service changes will be implemented on 21 routes as part of Metro Board-approved service changes and jurisdictional requests.
Rear-door boarding will remain in effect on all buses and fares temporarily waived for the safety of Metro’s frontline employees.
The service changes will provide significantly more capacity as the region recovers and additional Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. As more riders return, not all trains and buses may allow for social distancing.
Important reminders:
- Masks or cloth face coverings are required on Metro at all times, including all buses, trains, stations and other facilities.
- Use the rear doors when entering or exiting the bus. The front door is reserved only for those customers using mobility devices or who need assistance to board.
- Metro encourages customers to spread out and maximize space between themselves and other passengers to the greatest extent possible. While the service changes will provide more space, social distance cannot be guaranteed on all buses at all times.